


Thunder-cracked glass

by Subtle_Shenanigans



Series: To Wander [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alone, Gen, One-Shot, Rain, no mass governments, of another time, only minor civilizations, possible body dysphoria/dissociative state mention, post-post-post apocalyptic dystopian, reflections, strange the things left standing, tone and mood experiment, unfamiliar familiarity, wandering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25643554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subtle_Shenanigans/pseuds/Subtle_Shenanigans
Summary: Sheltering from a thunderstorm.
Relationships: The Wanderer|Ander & Fox Cub
Series: To Wander [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725868
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Thunder-cracked glass

**Author's Note:**

> Just a vague idea I had.

The fox cub smells the electricity in the air far before The Wanderer, though they feel that clammy-cold of coming rain soon after his whine.

Storms are bad; not the rain, but the fire that strikes the earth during a true rainstorm, the clouds growling thunderously.

Ander has seen the dead that result from being stricken. They don’t want to become one of them.

(Perhaps, maybe, their bodies hold more metal, or the storms are more frequent, or people are just that unfortunate, but storms are much, much more dangerous than even a hundred years afore.

At least, from what they understand from the few old books and stories they’ve come across.)

They scoop up the cub, quill-fur standing on end as they tremble. A quick trot through the trees, and they eventually see a brake where pale grass sweeps out.

Good, a building is near-by.

Suddenly, there’s a crackling thud that reverberates, and Ander stiffens like an animal themself. They don’t taste the metal-hot, but the sky is somber above them, so they hurry once more.

Sure enough, the trees cease and it’s old, dying summer grass. They can see the dirt easily beneath, where it thins. A building, something obviously very old, and very abandoned, stands alone. Any other stone(?)work is strewn about loosely or consumed by the forest and ground.

They hurry in, lifting part of their coat over their head as they rain dumps down. They grit their teeth at the sudden barrage of senses, and don’t relax until they’re inside.

Even with the missing door (there’s no hinge spot anyways), and a hole in the far corner that lets in some water, it blocks out some of the sound and is fairly dry, if dirt-strewn.

The walls are squares that were probably once white, or light blue, now too dirty to tell. They chip and crack in places, dirt wedged even deeper and making them darker. There’s cut-off rooms, with a gap below and above. They glance through one swung-open door and see some sort of . . .toilet? It’s hard to tell, exactly, as it’s not a shape they’re familiar with. Maybe this was once a communal bathroom of sorts? Odd.

The fox cub mewls, pressing closer as the world lights and darkens; the accompanying crack that follows indicating that it’s far away enough. For now.

They set the cub down, where he shakes the rain off, then cautiously pokes his nose around. Ander rises and catches on movement.

It’s only their own face, caught in reflective glass.   
  
There’s some sort of basin, a few of them, lining the wall, a gap where one is missing. All have a space above them but only one has glass, a giant sheet of it, cracked and bellying inward.

Ander has seen reflective glass before. But only shards. This. . .even cracked it shows clearer than water, more still.

This. . .is their face. Backwards, but it’s theirs.

There’s a green tint at parts, which they filter out. Their hair short, curly and frizzy. Eyes tired, but sharp, and blue-gray. They’d always thought their face rounder, but it’s longer.

They have to look away eventually because even though they know it’s theirs, it feels off and makes them feel. . .off. It’s too clear, too real.

They turn away from the glass, and focus on cub, who’s snuffling at the corners and crunching up bugs. This won’t be the most comfortable place to spend the night, but, well.

It’s better than the storm outside.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone wondering, yes, it is a public school bathroom XD. I just had this idea of one left sitting with no building around.


End file.
